Delicious Cheesecake with Blueberry Topping

When I was in 7th grade, I begrudgingly took the mandatory Home Economics class. I had always been interested in sewing and crafting but back then, I had little interest in baking. Baking was a skill that was reserved for bakers and it was something I knew I couldn’t do. My 13-year-old brain was full of negative self-talk so when my Home Ec teacher told us we would start baking next week, I knew I was going to be a complete failure.

Ms. M lived in the same neighborhood as my family and she was friends with my parents. When I saw her in the neighborhood after “the big baking announcement” I voiced my concerns to her. I told her I was going to fail her class because I didn’t know anything about baking and I was certain to blow something up. Like the whole school.

Although my mom had taught me a bit about baking and cooking it certainly wasn’t enough for me to feel comfortable with a mixer in my hand. After patiently listening to my concerns, Ms. M looked at me with a smile on her face and said, “How do you know you’re going to fail if you’ve never tried it before?” Because I was a teen and {thought} I knew everything, I responded with, “I just know I’m going to mess up and everyone is going to laugh at me.” At the age of 13, I had little self-confidence and even less self-esteem. Troubles at home and school had left me feeling worthless.

When Ms. M started her baking segment, I followed along and feigned interest. I figured I would show them all just how incompetent I was. Our first assignment involved making and baking chocolate chip cookies. I felt clumsy and awkward with every utensil I picked up and I secretly wished I could run and hide.

I took spoonfuls of batter and dropped it on the cookie sheet. I put the cookies in the oven and watched the timer slowly go by. I could hear Ms. M in the background giving everyone words of encouragement along with tips and pointers. When the timer finally buzzed, I cautiously removed the baking sheet from the oven. I expected to see a disaster before me but somehow, I managed to bake perfectly golden chocolate chip cookies. Ms. M took a bite from one of my warm cookies and proceeded to congratulate me: “Great job Kim.”

I couldn’t believe I successfully baked anything.

In the weeks that followed, Ms. M taught us how to bake a cake, how to make chewy brownies, how to make frosting from scratch, and how to make biscuits. With each baking success, the negative self-talk that once filled my head had quieted down to a whisper. My self-confidence grew and I finally felt comfortable in a kitchen. My self-esteem reappeared and my sense of doom and gloom had faded.

I didn’t realize it at the time, but Ms. M had seen the transformation too. At the end of the school year, she graced me with some words of wisdom: “Kim, I want you to remember that you can do anything you set your mind on. If you don’t succeed the first time, try again. And if you feel afraid, don’t let that stop you. Keep on going.”

She handed me a folder and out the door I went.

When I arrived home, I opened the folder to find pages and pages of recipes. Each page bore her name in the upper right-hand corner. I couldn’t believe it… Ms. M had given me copies of her personal recipes.

A few days after summer vacation started, I baked a fancy cake from one of the recipes she’d given me. The cake turned out so well that I decided to take a piece over to her house. When I arrived, I stood in front of an empty apartment.

Ms. M had moved. I later discovered that she transferred to another teaching job out-of-state. Even though I was sad to discover this, it didn’t stop me from baking my way through her recipes that summer. One of my Ms. M favorites? A delicious cheesecake with blueberry topping.

Ms. M: this post is dedicated to you. Thank you for teaching me how to bake and for taking the time to help repair a broken 13-year-old girl. You are not forgotten.

About Kim Dickerson (Winter + Sparrow)

Kim is the founder of Winter + Sparrow (formerly known as Saving More Than Me). She's a writer, creator. and cat herder. She's also a British TV junkie, drinker of all.the.tea., avid book reader, thrift store magnet, and Multiple Sclerosis warrior. She resides in beautiful Richmond, Virginia. P.S. Want to know more? Click here to find out what profession Kim previously worked in and discover what subjects her Master's degrees are in.